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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — to come from
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rule — government
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com